


Starry Night

by MythicallyInspired



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bilbo Remains In Erebor, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Company Bonding, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Rebuilding Erebor, attempt at fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 02:23:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5565580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythicallyInspired/pseuds/MythicallyInspired
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo worries about Thorin and the Company, afraid they've been working too hard and have been stressing themselves out. Bilbo suggests that they all have a night off. Thorin enthusiastically agrees.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Starry Night

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt was taken from OTPPrompts on Tumblr
> 
> _Imagine your OTP is on a stargazing date. Person A and Person B are lying on a grassy field and looking up at the sky. Person A stares at the constellations and remarks, "Wow, I've never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life." Person B looks at Person A and comments, "Neither have I."_

“Have you ever been outside of these walls ever since you reclaimed them, Thorin?” the soft, curious voice of the hobbit asked. The two companions were currently seated at the stone table of the royal dining room, awaiting for the Company. Thorin had thankfully been able to pull himself away from his royal duties, leaving a pile of paperwork that needed the king’s signature. 

The newly reclaimed dwarven kingdom of Erebor had been in constant maintenance and reconstruction since the ending of the Battle of Five Armies, or so that’s what everyone had called it. Mines were being redrilled into, homes and the massive markets were being filled and fixed, and the beautiful stairwells were under constant supervision as they were repaired. New settlers from the Iron Hills and other dwarven colonies from all over Middle Earth were incoming to Erebor in large numbers each and everyday. Settlers were quickly embracing their home, pitching tents and filling in jobs that needed to be filled in order to bring Erebor back to the glory it was before it was overtaken by Smaug the Terrible.

The settlers spoke and whispered in awe about the stories that were told to them when they reached their home, the merchants before them telling them of the turmoil their King Under the Mountain had faced. They spoke of a treacherous journey filled with Orcs and Wargs, the darkness that had corrupted the land, and how one little hobbit had saved the king from the dragon sickness and had allowed Azog the Defiler to be killed, thus ending the great battle that would be spoken about for ages to come. 

Ever since then, Thorin and his merry company of dwarves had been working tirelessly and endlessly to bring their home back to the state it was in that they knew. Dwalin and Balin had been working at Thorin’s side as his advisors, spending every waking moment at their king’s side, discussing trade agreements and overseeing the rebuilding of their Lonely Mountain. Thorin had assigned to his nephews the task of recruiting loyal dwarves to rebuilding Erebor’s army, and training those who pledged themselves but were not old enough to join. Ori had been rather eager to help Bilbo with the royal library, asking if he could assist in cleaning and translating works from the library to the common language, so that they could share their histories with other kingdoms, even though Thorin had begrudgingly accepted. Óin had been appointed as the royal healer of Erebor, and had been able to establish several first aid stations around the mountain, and was currently in the process of taking a building and converting it to a full fledged hospital, in which would hopefully become the first of many.

Needless to say, the dwarves had been busy. Non-stop. For the past year and a half.

Frankly, Bilbo needed a break.

Bilbo had been happy to stay in Erebor with the dwarves, even after Kili and Fili had begged their burglar stay, saying that it wouldn’t be fair to the company if he just left them, as they would be “very sad and would miss Master Boggins”. Needless to say, Bilbo’s heart melted right then and there, telling the two mischievous nephews that he would stay if they stopped making fools of themselves. 

Bilbo kept his promise, asking for Thorin to assist in moving his things from the Shire to Erebor, which Thorin was happy to oblige, sending caravans to Bag End, and having his armchair and books moved to his new home. For that, Bilbo was eternally grateful. 

Yet, he couldn’t help but miss his home, and his garden. He missed sitting out in front of his door on his bench, smoking from his pipe and just letting the time wander away. He missed walking out to his garden behind his home and feeling the green grass beneath his feet. He missed the smell of freshly grown flowers and the feeling of homegrown peaches and tomatoes in his hands. The fertile soil was desperately missed as well, feeling it under his fingers or digging his toes into it as he sat. He missed the bright, healthy greens and warm browns. He missed everything about the Shire.

He loved the mountain. He really, truly did. But he couldn’t help but feel like a part of him had left him and stayed in the Shire. 

And that’s when the thought had struck him. How long had it been since he and the company had gone outside? How long had it been since natural light had touched their faces? Bilbo suddenly felt eager to go outside and explore more of the mountain. There had to be life that had grown after the battle; he was sure of it. Perhaps he could convince Thorin to take a break with him, and just explore the territory and the kingdom that was his.

Thorin glanced up from the small pile of papers that rested in front of him, a thick, dark eyebrow raising as he pondered the hobbit's question. “Outside?” he questioned, his voice a deep rumble. “Well, I haven’t entirely had the chance to go outside. Why, do you desire to?”

Bilbo met the king’s gaze, his fingers wrapping around each other and fumbling under the stone table. “W-Well, I just couldn’t help but figure that we all needed a break from our duties,” he replied, then was quick to explain himself as Thorin opened his mouth to respond, “You all have been working so hard since the end of the battle, so I believe you all deserve a break from your responsibilities.”

The dwarf stared at Bilbo, processing what he had said. The hobbit did have a point. They had all been working tirelessly and endlessly to oversee that their home be rebuilt properly. No one had uttered a single word of complaint, however. Not even his nephews or their mother had spoken of a break or a proper holiday. Yet he had noticed that Balin and Dwalin had been looking awfully tired lately, responding in slow voices or showing up a tad late to meetings. Even himself had been feeling overworked, going to bed without removing his robes and waking up with a stressful headache and metal jabbing into his sides. 

Not to mention he had also noticed how rundown Bilbo had looked the past few months. He was aware that the hobbit had been waking up at ungodly hours to go to the library and work. There had been several occasions in which Ori had informed Thorin that he had caught Bilbo dozing off at his desk, his head against the parchment he had been working on. 

It was at that moment that Thorin felt a guilt stir in his gut. He had been so focused on working and ordering that he had forgotten the needs of his kin and his closest friend. 

Thorin groaned a bit in the back of his throat before he let out a sigh. Bilbo stared at him curiously and in a bit of confusion before those piercing blue eyes met hazel ones, and Bilbo felt a bit frozen in his chair. That frozen feeling only strained more against him as a small, barely there smile reached Thorin’s lips.

“I think that’s a good idea, Master Baggins,” Thorin replied softly. 

Bilbo’s heart began to pound in his chest, and his face felt a bit hot. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the look on Thorin’s face, or the tone of his voice, or just the idea of Thorin’s acceptance or approval of his idea. But he knew that this wasn’t the last time he would feel such a way. 

“Thorin, I--” 

The doors to the dining room slammed open, a new loudness filling the chamber as the remaining thirteen dwarves entered the dining room, chatting away and laughing loudly, obviously ignorant to what had occurred.

Throughout the entire dinner, Bilbo’s face would not stop burning.

~~~~~

It wasn’t until two weeks later that Bilbo’s wish had been fulfilled. He had been quietly writing and translating in the library, the only sound being the scratching of the quill against the parchment he was using. The room had been relaxing and had the smell of chamomile drifting throughout, and it was heaviest next to Bilbo. His shoulders were slumped, and the occasional happy, relaxed sigh could be heard from him.

Unfortunately, that had only lasted for a few hours before the doors had burst open, the metal hitting the stone walls with full force. A loud, rumbling sound came from the impact, scaring the hobbit to tense up and nearly push over the vial of ink that was next to him. Bilbo quickly turned to the noise, only seeing a flash of blonde and dark brown before both of his arms were grasped and he was being pulled out of his seat. 

Bilbo let out a yelp before struggling against the grips, twisting his small body uncomfortably and kicking his bare feet out to attempt to grasp the marble ground. 

“Wh-What is the meaning of this?!” he squealed as he was dragged out of the library, and was brought into contact with the massive hallways of the mountain.

“Resistance is futile, Master Boggins!” Kíli giggled, glancing at his brother before they began to move a bit faster down the hallways, lifting Bilbo higher off the ground so there was no traction. Or evidence left in the carpets of a mysterious kidnapping.

Bilbo couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the two, knowing that Kíli did have a point. Once the two had their minds set on something, there was little that could stop them. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have to make it harder on the two boys.

Bilbo allowed himself to chuckle at himself before he went fully limp, causing the nephews to stumble and readjust their grips. They both groaned in retaliation before they resumed their quick pace. 

“Now that’s just not fair!” Fíli whined, moving his blonde hair to the side. 

Bilbo could play games too.

~~~~~

Coming into contact with the front doors of Erebor was almost surreal, seeing it fully repaired and it returned to its former glory. Bilbo could do nothing but stare up at the enormous structure, and couldn’t help but wonder why such a small race could require such a large entrance. He understood that they were a strong, rich kingdom that wouldn’t be trifled with, but really?

Dwalin came up from behind him, clamping a hand on his shoulder, making the hobbit jump a bit in surprise. The tattooed dwarf only grinned at him, staring up at the stone with pride and admiration. “It’s a beauty, ain’t it?” he asked, then continued, “Took us nearly three months to complete. But it was definitely worth it, don’t you think?”

Bilbo turned his head to the side and made a face before he looked back at the gate and nodded. “It’s definitely, well, impressive, to say the least.”

Dwalin let out a laugh before he gripped Bilbo’s shoulder again, making the hobbit wince. 

“Dwalin, don’t break Master Baggin’s shoulder, please. We haven’t even gone outside yet,” Thorin’s voice rang from behind them, causing both to turn around and watch as the king walked up with the rest of the company. 

Bilbo took in a deep breath before he widened his eyes a bit, then raised an accusing finger at the two nephews who flanked their uncle, who had said they were grabbing something before they continued to drag him along. “You didn’t tell me we were going outside!” he exclaimed before he took in a deep breath. 

The two young dwarves shrugged, small smirks on their faces as they wandered away from their uncle’s side, going ahead of the group. 

However, Thorin just looked a bit confused. “Master Baggins, didn’t you say you wanted to go outside?”

Bilbo straightened up a bit before he cleared his throat. “Well, yes, but that was awhile ago. I had thought you had forgotten about it,” he confessed. 

Thorin let out a hum before he walked forward, stopping himself in front of Bilbo and leaning down a bit. “I never go back on my word, Master Baggins,” he murmured before continuing ahead, leaving Bilbo a bit flustered due to the proximity of the king and the tone of voice.

Needless to say, Bilbo was quite eager to go outside. 

The hobbit was quick on his feet to turn around and wander up to the front gate with the rest of the company, awaiting for the doors to open. 

Bilbo waited patiently amongst Dwalin and Balin as Kíli and Fíli quickly made their way up to the barracks, assuming that they were going to tell the guards to open the doors to allow them all entry to the outside world. However, Bilbo’s heart was pounding, his feet eagerly shifting on the marble floors and his fingers clenching. He would finally be able to feel soil beneath his feet once more, to have the grass wander through his fingers, to feel natural sunlight on his face and wind in his hair. 

A large, loud rumble made its way through the halls as the doors were opened, more light than usual filling the cavernous room of the entry way. Bilbo squinted his eyes as the sunlight came in contact with his face, a hand coming to cover his face almost instinctively. 

But he immediately drew it down, opening his hazel eyes and moving his bangs. His eyes widened as he came into contact with the greens outside the mountain, immediately seeing pine trees and green grass. His feet moved before he could stop it, practically running out of the halls and to the outside world.

Silence was the only thing that filled Bilbo’s world at that moment as his feet made contact with the grass, and a quiet moan left his lips as the softness met him. He immediately ran his feet through the blades of grass, shuffling his feet over the soil and moving closer to the trees. After a moment he collapsed onto his knees, his fingers running through the grass and into the soil, squeezing the moist dirt. A flood of euphoria and nostalgia ran through Bilbo’s body, and his body turned over to land on the ground, spreading himself out along it. He gazed up into the blue skies, only a few white clouds spread out along it. 

A smile made its way to his lips and he let out a happy laugh, grabbing onto the blades of grass above him. He felt rejuvenated, energized, and amazingly warm. The natural sun on his skin was breathtaking, and it truly felt like that part of him that stayed in the Shire was back with him.

It wasn’t until the sound of boots crushing against the earth had his thoughts been interrupted and a shadow was over him that his smile had diminished slightly. His eyes wandered up to whomever was in front of him.

Thorin stared down at him, eyes narrowed slightly before a small smile graced his features, and he knelt down at Bilbo’s side, an eyebrow raised. “Do you intend to stay here all day or are we going to have to play futball without you?”

Bilbo stared up at him before his large smile crossed his features again, sitting up to playfully glare at the king. 

“Bring it on.”

~~~~~

The entirety of the day was spent running around the fields and through the forests near Erebor. The company played games, explored the sides of the mountain, had a picnic, and even had the opportunity to let Bilbo be himself. The hobbit lead the dwarves throughout the forest and flower covered fields, pointing out plants and telling them about each one, which ones were his favorite, and what they were used for in the Shire. The company were caught onto every word that was said by the hobbit, asking questions and questioning why some plants and foods were used in such a way.

Needless to say, much of the company demanded that some be taken back to be used for cooking or decoration. Bilbo was happy to oblige. 

After hours upon hours of frollicking and laughing and playing, the company had decided on taking a rest, placing their coats upon the ground and laying on them. Stargazing had been put aside ever since their journey had ended, but they figured they had to return to it, as Bilbo had insisted. 

The night sky was clear, not a single cloud in sight. The stars were shining brightly, illuminating the sky and amplifying the luminescence of the full moon, thankfully not leaving them in complete darkness. 

Thorin had been so kind as to let Bilbo share his coat with him, as it was big enough for the two to share and Bilbo was still stubborn as to not take or use a coat, even though the dwarves had repeatedly insisted on giving him one. 

The hobbit hummed as he stared up at the night sky, the different constellations causing him to become a bit dizzy, not knowing what was what. They were definitely different than the ones back at the Shire, but thankfully, Thorin was kind enough to point them out, explaining their origins and their names. Bilbo was infatuated with the history behind the shapes and lines along the sky, smiling up at them. 

Thorin eventually relaxed beside him and kept his gaze upwards, breathing out slowly. 

Bilbo smiled, continuing to gaze up. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life,” he murmured, his body relaxing as he said it.

There was a slow shift of hair as Thorin tilted his head towards Bilbo, his blue eyes meeting the side of his face. “Neither have I,” he murmured in return. 

Bilbo widened his eyes a bit before he turned his gaze to Thorin, a bit surprised to see intense eyes burning into him. He felt his cheeks light up, warmth covering his face. Had he heard that right? “Wh-What do you mean?” he asked, nervousness creeping into his voice. 

Thorin continued to stare at him, but his cheeks betrayed his look, which were pinkening in embarrassment and nervousness. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Master Baggins.”

The hobbit blinked at him before he turned his head back to the stars, swallowing thickly. His heart was hammering in his chest at the confession, and his head was swimming. There was a shifting next to him, but before he could stop himself, Bilbo was quick to lash out his hand and grab one of Thorin’s, pulling it to him. 

The body next to him tensed before a pair of eyes were back on the side of his face. Hesitantly, Bilbo met it. The two had similar looks on their faces, eyes wide and cheeks red. Bilbo was the first to open his lips, before whispering out, “Please, call me Bilbo.”

Thorin gazed at him, his eyes going soft before he leaned over to him. Bilbo breathed in sharply before he closed his eyes, a soft pair of lips landing on his once they were fully closed.

It was warm and soft and tender, the complete opposite of what Bilbo knew Thorin to be. And yet Bilbo loved the feeling, making him feel all hot and jittery. He gripped onto Thorin’s hand tighter, and that grip was returned, fingers intertwining. 

The kiss ended slowly, Thorin gently pulling his lips away from Bilbo’s, and eyes opened slowly. The hobbit breathed in sharply before a smile graced his features. Thorin returned the smile, a small chuckle coming from his throat before Bilbo joined in, as if this was a newfound inside joke between the two of them.

That thought was quickly diminished when Kíli’s voice rang out in the blissful quiet. “Finally!”

**Author's Note:**

> This was literally written in about 3.5 hours. If there's any mistakes, please let me know!
> 
> I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading!


End file.
